BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After an NCAA-leading triple jump in Birmingham over the weekend, Ole Miss senior Ricky Robertson was named the Southeastern Conference Men’s Field Athlete of the Week by the league office Tuesday.
A six-time All-American and five-time SEC champion in the high jump, Robertson took the day off of his primary event to focus on his next-best one, the triple jump, against stiff competition at the Auburn Indoor Invitational that included four nationally ranked men’s teams.
All Robertson did was soar to the NCAA’s best triple jump this indoor season with a meet-record leap of 52-8.25 on his first attempt of the day. That’s 6.5 inches farther than the next closest this year by Arizona State’s Chris Benard and is the best mark by any American at low altitude.
It was a personal best for the Hernando, Miss., native and moves him up to third in school history in the indoor triple jump.
Robertson is currently tied for seventh in the NCAA in the high jump (7-2.5) and tied for 25th in the long jump (24-1.5).
This is the first SEC weekly honor of the season for Robertson and the seventh of his career.